Sunday 28 August 2005

Maori Party Health Priorities

1. Diabetes - Health Promotion, Prevention And Treatment

* Diabetes causes approximately 1200 deaths per year. Current spending on diabetes is $247m per year. Pricewaterhousecoopers project that the increase in numbers of peoples developing complications such as blindness, limb amputation, dialysis requiring hospitalisation will result in diabetes services accounting for approximately 12% of total health spending by the year 2021. That is, over a billion dollars each year;

* Maori are over-represented in cases of diabetic renal failure, with rates of up to ten times those of non-Maori;

* The Maori Party is announcing a long-term vision, taking bold and proactive action now, to prevent the further onset of the crippling disease.

* We will inject an additional $100m per year into diabetes services;

* All families with a history of diabetes should receive free screening.

2. Well-Being Programmes

* Money will be held centrally by the Ministry of Health;

* There will be a focus on wellness programmes, determined by whanau, within their own communities; eg rangatahi waka ama; walking clubs, raranga;

* Money will be allocated directly to those communities.

* We will invest $20m per year, into ten regions.

3. Treatment Services

* Alcohol and drug services: We must take immediate action to minimise the damage caused to communities and individuals by alcohol, illicit and other drug use. [Government collects more than $1b in alcohol and tobacco taxes and excise];

* Response to P: : Increased use of methamphetamine (P) commonly results in compounding paranoia, psychosis and extreme mood swings. This in turn can lead to violence and offending. The Maori Party initiatives include funding to prevent the production and distribution of methamphetamine to increase whanau health and well-being;

* Problem gambling: The Maori Party will take bold action to provide information to positively change lives, communities and environments to eliminate the harm caused by gambling [current funding: $16,764m].

* Invest an additional $26m on alcohol and drug treatment services;

* Invest $30M to fund public health education, treatment and intervention services on problem gambling (0.32 of the vote);

* Invest $5m in investing co-ordinators in ten communities to run education programmes, and provide assistance and support to individuals and families in responding appropriately. We will invest an additional $5m in supporting policing efforts to take action on P.

ENDS

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